Remembering MLK Jr.: The conscience of a nation

Published: Friday, January 18, 2013 at 06:51 PM.

“One day we must come to see that peace is not merely a distant goal we seek, but that it is a means by which we arrive at that goal. We must pursue peaceful ends through peaceful means.”The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968)

The words of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. still ring true. The civil rights leader was a man of peace. He gave his life — not just the end of it, but all of it — for freedom and equality.

Today, the nation marks his achievements with speeches, marches, breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Many did so last week, on the actual anniversary of his birth, Jan. 15. At Elon University myriad events were held. Around Alamance County, a weekend of activities close today with a breakfast in downtown Burlington.

We do so to celebrate the life of a minister who raised the spirit of faith while becoming an important social critic who worked to bring a divided people closer together at a time when hope for such a thing seemed all but lost.

While many Americans — white and black — sought an end to racism, the gulf was deep. Those who would keep millions of Americans separate and unequal advocated hatred and violence. The old wounds are not healed completely, but the division probably would exist to this day had it not been for King motivating and mobilizing peaceful protests to drive home the point President Abraham Lincoln had made decades earlier: “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”

There remain people who feed on prejudice. They sow the seeds of mistrust. They are the minority. The majority wants peace, freedom and equal opportunity.

“One day we must come to see that peace is not merely a distant goal we seek, but that it is a means by which we arrive at that goal. We must pursue peaceful ends through peaceful means.”The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
(1929-1968)

The words of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. still ring true. The civil rights leader was a man of peace. He gave his life — not just the end of it, but all of it — for freedom and equality.

Today, the nation marks his achievements with speeches, marches, breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Many did so last week, on the actual anniversary of his birth, Jan. 15. At Elon University myriad events were held. Around Alamance County, a weekend of activities close today with a breakfast in downtown Burlington.

We do so to celebrate the life of a minister who raised the spirit of faith while becoming an important social critic who worked to bring a divided people closer together at a time when hope for such a thing seemed all but lost.

While many Americans — white and black — sought an end to racism, the gulf was deep. Those who would keep millions of Americans separate and unequal advocated hatred and violence. The old wounds are not healed completely, but the division probably would exist to this day had it not been for King motivating and mobilizing peaceful protests to drive home the point President Abraham Lincoln had made decades earlier: “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”

There remain people who feed on prejudice. They sow the seeds of mistrust. They are the minority. The majority wants peace, freedom and equal opportunity.

King and many like him endured jails, assaults and intimidation on the road to universal civil rights. An assassain’s bullet took the life from a man of peace. The act, however, did not deter civil disobedience and a nation’s decision to do what was right. Instead, he became a martyr for a just cause.

We can only imagine how things would have been if King had lived a normal lifespan. What we know for sure is that he made a difference and inspired others to do likewise.

The work continues. The objective remains righteous. The message still rings true.

King, as usual, expressed it best upon accepting the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.

“I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality.”